MindZine - Bridge

Subtitled 'Rubber Bridge in a London Club', this book has 108 jumbo-sized pages and is based mainly on Sheehan's articles in The Times between '94 and '99, but you cannot tell that from the free-flowing way it is structured.

Sheehan starts by "Setting the Scene", covering the type of bridge played, the tactics and the bidding, before going on to "The People" and "The Game".

A nice touch is the sayings which appear under most of the chapter headings, such as Rixi Markus's encouragement to a new partner in an Individual tournament: "No signals. I will know your distribution better than you do."

Personalities are featured throughout, which is always a good sign, including the charismatic Zia Mahmood. Zia shows his mettle on this deal in the £100 game at TGR's:

West	North	East	South
-	-	-	1
1	2	2NT	Dbl
3	Pass	Pass	3NT
Pass	Pass	Dbl	End

Dealer South. Love All
E/W 60 up

8 6

Q J 9 3

K 9 7 5 4

J 4

K Q J 9 7 4

	N
W		E
	S

10 5

8 7 6

A 10 4

Q 10 6 2

9 7 6

K 10 8 3

A 3 2

K 5 2

A 8 3

A Q 5 2

North's unsound 2 response had persuaded Zia to bid 3NT, which East had doubled and against which West had led two of his top spades, with South taking the second after East had petered. Now a diamond to the Jack and King was followed by 9, ducked by East and leaving the play at the critical point.
Reading East's bidding correctly, Zia allowed the nine to run, then led a heart to the King, before cashing A and playing a heart to dummy's Queen. East ducked again, but was then put in with a diamond to lead away from his K for an overtrick.

Peter Littlewood